Moving
by Saun
Summary: Haruka and Michiru: Take my fanfic ff.net and keep it safe from puter gremlins


Moving  
by Saun   
Rated:G  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon & Company do not belong to me. I just   
borrowed them for a bit.  
It was raining. The sullen droplets streaked out of the sky   
as they splashed off the windowpane. Visibly reflected in the pristine   
glass was Haruka's golden hair and serious features. Every now and then   
an errant raindrop would coast past the shadow of her eyes and slide   
down like a crystal tear. Haruka stretched a leg out on the windowsill,   
but kept one knee bent so she could rest her folded arms and head on it.   
After she'd rented this apartment, the window seat had become her   
thinking spot. It was here that she had sought escape from the   
disturbing visions of the silence and here that she had sat thinking   
about finding the talismans. Now she sat trying to wrap her mind around   
the disturbing predictions of the little girl who was asleep in the   
next room.  
Unnoticed by Haruka, Michiru walked through with several garment   
bags draped over her arms. She paused for a moment, her blue eyes lovingly   
tracing the features of the woman at the window. She waited a few   
heartbeats before she spoke.  
"Haruka?"  
The sound jolted the blonde from her reverie.   
"Hai?" Haruka forced a wan smile. "I was just taking a little   
break, besides I didn't want to disturb her nap." She then turned back   
to the window because the sympathetic gaze of her partner was just a   
little much to take right now. Sometimes Haruka could swear that Michiru   
could see right into her soul. To her credit, the aqua haired violinist   
didn't pursue the subject any further.  
"Well, I think you should try to get as much packing done as   
possible before she wakes up again," Michiru advised before tossing the   
bags over a nearby chair.   
"I suppose you're right." With one graceful movement Haruka   
rolled to her feet and stretched out her muscles. "How much longer until   
we need to take this load to the house?"  
Michiru looked thoughtful for a moment, as if she were focusing on   
a list in her head.   
" Well, once you are finished with the rest of your clothes and   
I get the things underneath the bathroom sink... I think it will be about  
an hour and a half. After that, we'll only have to pick up maybe two   
more boxes and that will be it for the apartment!" she finished with   
enthusiasm. "Oh, and that reminds me. Here's the list of the things I   
want to get out of storage." She pressed a folded piece of pink   
stationary into Haruka's hand as she headed for the bathroom, her blue   
sundress brushing Haruka's leg as she went.  
Haruka glanced down at the sheet in slight amusement tinged with   
dread. The last few days had been filled with a lot of changes. Haruka,   
Michiru, and Setsuna had located a house for sale that would accommodate   
all of them. It was isolated, had a nice yard in which Hotaru could play,   
and was much larger than Haruka's apartment. Michiru had almost   
immediately begun to plan to move all of her things that they could use   
to the new house. Haruka had little doubt about exactly who would be   
lugging most of it out of storage and over to the house.  
Haruka went into the bedroom and tossed the paper Michiru had   
given her on the coverlet. She quietly began taking her clothes out of   
the closet and folding them in preparation for actual packing. Her eyes   
darted over the small, dark haired form that lay curled in the middle   
of the bed. It had been two days since Sailor Pluto had shown up with   
baby Hotaru.   
  
Sailor Uranus hadn't been happy to see the baby. However, when   
she'd heard the echoing screams of Neptune and Pluto and realized that   
the child was in danger, a fierce protectiveness had bloomed in Haruka's   
chest.  
"Stop!" The cry had been torn from her chest as she dangled   
hundreds of feet above a busy Tokyo street. But it was a futile   
gesture, the glass entities were simply too strong for them. She   
admitted to herself that it had been Saturn's power that had saved them.   
Haruka hadn't been able to shake the feeling until she'd seen Michiru   
tenderly buttoning Hotaru into one of Haruka's own dress shirts. The   
garment had served as a long nightgown for the tiny girl. Michiru had   
made sure to roll up the sleeves so that they wouldn't drag the floor.   
When Michiru had gone to the bedroom for a moment, Haruka had watched as   
Hotaru toddled over to the window seat and pulled herself up onto the   
bench. One of the meticulously rolled sleeves came undone and fell down   
over a little hand. Haruka felt a tugging at her heart as she watched   
the little girl's rapt expression while she absorbed the view. Her little   
nose left a smudge on the windowpane.  
That night when Michiru tried to put the four-year-old Hotaru   
in her old bed, the little girl had cried saying she was afraid of the   
dark, so Michiru had moved her into their bedroom. As Haruka had watched   
Michiru settle the dark haired little girl in between them, she couldn't   
help wondering if children were like puppies. If so, then it might be a   
bad idea to let the little girl get used to sleeping in their bed.   
Children definitely took an adjustment period. The next night   
Haruka had been lying on the couch watching her favorite anime. It was   
one with lots of space ships. They were battling to save earth from   
some kind of threat. Haruka watch dispassionately as a soldier gave up   
his life for the rest of his fleet. Despite the fact that his ship was   
breaking up, the character still had enough time to deliver a   
long-winded speech to his comrades and Haruka rolled her eyes.   
'How corny,' she thought. Suddenly, a high-pitched wail erupted from   
behind the couch. Haruka almost jumped out of her skin. 'What the??'   
She leaned over the armrest to look behind her. At almost the same   
moment Michiru burst out of the bathroom at a half waddle struggling   
to keep her freshly painted toes from smudging on the carpet. Hotaru   
sat behind the couch with her doll forgotten on the floor in front of   
her. All that could really be seen was the small circle of her mouth   
and two rivulets of tears dripping off her tiny chin.  
Michiru bent down to try and comfort the child and figure   
out what was wrong. Haruka had a feeling she already knew and quickly   
flipped off the TV. Hurriedly, she went to get some tissues before   
Michiru could read her guilty expression. When she had returned   
Hotaru's sobs had died down to sniffles. Michiru's eyes spoke volumes   
as she gently wiped the child's nose. Haruka had found herself on the   
receiving end of another of Michiru's glares.  
"Hotaru-chan?" She broached the topic cautiously. "Was it the   
show on television that upset you?" The dark head had nodded, her   
small fist swiping at her swollen eyes.  
Haruka followed Michiru's example and knelt on one knee.   
"It wasn't real. It was just a show. Understand? Don't be   
scared."  
When violet eyes had glanced up with mingled relief and   
trust, Haruka had been a bit overwhelmed.  
  
Haruka shook her head to clear it of the memory and sternly   
reminded herself that she should be packing. Still, her eyes were   
drawn to the sleeping child. She remembered those nights when Michiru   
had left to warm baby Hotaru's formula and Haruka had been on diaper   
duty. Those late night feedings, carrying her, dressing her... loving   
her. Did Hotaru remember any of that at all?  
  
Suddenly, a violet eye flickered open. It was easing gently   
closed when it flew open wide.  
"Papa!" Hotaru bolted upright, beaming.  
Haruka smiled down at the little girl and reached out a   
slender hand to try to smooth the child's hair. "Haruka," she corrected   
firmly.  
"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru trilled.  
Haruka's mouth opened to correct the little girl but a laugh   
from the bedroom door stopped her. Michiru stood watching with a bright   
smile on her face.   
"Hotaru-chan? Would you like to help Michiru-mama pack?" The   
little girl scrambled off the bed and raced to Michiru's side.   
Haruka leaned down and recaptured the piece of paper Michiru   
had given her. It had fallen open and Haruka scanned the first several   
items on the list: Hina _Ningyo dolls, girlhood kimonos... most of these   
things were for Hotaru. 'Michiru-mama indeed,' Haruka thought. She already   
knew that her partner was delighted to have the little girl back with   
them. Haruka, however, felt her life changing and wasn't sure she liked   
the direction it was taking.   
All of them living together? It was like a family. Family, to   
Haruka, equaled being boxed in and trapped. She remembered Michiru once   
saying that maybe a normal life wasn't so bad; Haruka had thought her   
heart would stop right there on the spot. Though it had hurt her to   
see Michiru so sad after they had returned Hotaru to Professor Tomoe,   
Haruka had been relieved. Michiru wasn't one for crying but her features   
had been pale and pinched when they had begun packing up Hotaru's baby   
things. With the piles of stuff they'd accumulated it was hard to   
believe that she had only stayed with them for a little over two weeks.  
  
When Haruka came out a while later with her suitcases, she found   
Michiru seated with Setsuna on the couch. Michiru had already served   
tea. Haruka noticed that Diana was perched behind Setsuna's head. A   
suspicious looking lump under some terry cloth suddenly wiggled and   
Haruka knew she'd found Hotaru. The little girl was intently watching   
Diana's flicking tail. Haruka allowed herself a smile. The blonde perched   
herself on the arm of the couch and took the offered cup of tea Michiru   
handed her, noting the complex flavor. The artist poured another cup.  
"Hotaru. Come drink your tea," Michiru called. After Hotaru   
had gingerly taken her cup and was sipping it, Michiru leaned over to   
Setsuna and whispered conspiratorially, "Tea is the only way I can get   
her to take calcium. She hates milk." The two women exchanged meaningful   
glances. Haruka happily drank her tea and counted her blessings that she   
was exempt from girl talk.  
After they were all finished, Michiru took the empty tea tray   
and went into the kitchenette. Haruka and Setsuna could hear her washing   
out the cups. The blonde slid into Michiru's warm, vacated spot.   
"Did everything arrive?" she asked.  
"Hai." Setsuna nodded. "All of the furniture came."   
Michiru returned a short time later with a box and several items   
that Haruka recognized as some of her older cosmetics.   
"Hotaru, can you help me?"  
"Hai, Michiru-mama!" Hotaru looked up, her violet eyes glowing.   
Michiru knelt down and explained, "Put all of these things into   
this box, but make sure you get everything. We can't leave anything behind."  
Hotaru nodded, happy to help. Setsuna stood and went to help   
Michiru with the few lone boxes of paper under the bed. Diana remained   
seated on the couch, watching Hotaru with lazy eyes.  
Hotaru packed the shiny objects Michiru-mama had given her into   
the box. She looked around for anything else that might need packing.   
Michiru-mama had said that everything had to go...  
  
"I wonder where Diana went." Michiru looked around worriedly.   
"I didn't hear her say goodbye."  
"Luna may have wanted her home for dinner," Setsuna replied   
easily, as she picked up one of the packing boxes. "Where are your   
labels, Michiru?"  
"They were on this box." Michiru glanced around. "Haruka? Do   
you have the labels for the boxes?"  
The blonde peeked out of the bedroom. "No, they're on that   
bo-..." her voice trailed off. "Michiru, behind you."  
The artist turned and there sat Hotaru wearing an assortment   
of labels. When she saw Setsuna and Michiru looking at her, she offered   
them one. Michiru laughed softly and wrote Hotaru's name on one of the   
tags. She quickly stuck it to the front of the little girl's clothes.  
About an hour after Michiru's earlier estimate they were   
finally packed and ready to make another trip to the suburbs. Haruka   
and Setsuna went down to the car with several boxes while Michiru took   
a tissue paper wrapped package from the counter and slipped it into her  
purse. Hotaru was running back and forth in front of the window trying   
to hop on her shadow. When Haruka returned, the little girl almost   
collided with her. Haruka caught her before she fell, but her little   
feet continued to kick until the racer set her down.   
"Ready Michiru?" Haruka asked.  
"Hai, Haruka. We're ready." Michiru was handing Setsuna a   
variety of packages to be transported to the car. Hotaru lagged behind   
proudly carrying the smaller box she had packed by herself.  
Setsuna fastened Hotaru into the back seat and then slid in   
beside her. Michiru cradled her violin case in her lap and waited in   
the passenger's seat for Haruka to finish packing the trunk.  
"Everyone set?" Haruka asked as she slid the key into the   
ignition.  
"Hai!" Hotaru shouted. She loved to ride in the car. In no   
time at all they were turning down their new street. Haruka pulled into   
the driveway. As soon as they had stopped, Hotaru was out of the car   
and racing around after a bird.  
Haruka started unloading boxes. The blonde suddenly noticed   
the little girl's close proximity to the street. "Hotaru," Haruka   
said sternly, "Come, hold your Setsuna-mama's hand."  
"Setsuna ... mama?" a surprised and flustered Setsuna   
echoed, but she dutifully reached down and took the little hand in   
her own. The garnet eyed woman stopped at the trunk to take a small   
box. She kept a grip on her charge as she balanced the box on her hip.   
Michiru and Haruka gathered as much as they could carry and the four  
headed to the front door. Thanks to Haruka's expert packing of her   
car, it would only take them two trips to get the last of their   
belongings moved from the apartment.  
Haruka unlocked the front door and nudged it open with her   
foot. She set her boxes beside the others already in what would become   
their living room. Michiru headed for the kitchen to set hers on the   
new table.  
About that time they heard a scuffle inside one of the boxes.   
The three elder Outer Senshi froze. Haruka eased forward and quickly   
undid the packing tape before pulling the box open. A miffed and   
bristling Diana leapt out. Michiru's hands flew to her mouth in   
horrified surprise.  
"Diana!" Setsuna exclaimed. "Gomen-nasai."  
Hotaru had just run back into the room and froze at the looks   
on everyone's faces  
"Hotaru, we don't put koneko in boxes," Michiru explained   
gently, but Hotaru burst into tears. She ran to Haruka and wrapped   
herself around the blonde's legs. Haruka's eyes widened in surprise.   
Michiru looked stricken.  
"Michiru-mama wasn't trying to be mean Hotaru-chan." Haruka   
tried to sound stern, but she could feel the warm teardrops seeping   
through her trouser leg. "Don't cry. Let's go see your new room."   
That last part came out a little desperate.  
"Oh hai, Hotaru-chan," Michiru said quickly. "I almost forgot.   
I painted this for you." She reached in her purse and brought out the   
tissue package. She unwrapped it to reveal an oval plaque with Hotaru's   
name painted in purple letters.   
"Haruka-papa can hang that up for you," Michiru cajoled. Haruka   
decided now was as good a time as any to find the hammer and the   
container where Michiru had all of the nails sorted by length. She   
vaguely registered that Setsuna and Diana had disappeared. Ah well,   
Setsuna was probably off smoothing ruffled feathers.  
After Haruka had finished hanging up the sign, she left   
Hotaru playing in an empty box and went to find her mate.  
Michiru looked up when Haruka walked into the kitchen.   
"Are you ready?"  
"Hai," Haruka answered, noticing the adorable smudge of dust   
on her lover's pert nose.  
"All we have to do is move those last few things and then   
this will be our home." She unknotted the bandana she had used to   
tie back her hair. As she threaded her fingers through her long   
curls, Haruka turned away and got a glass of water. Unfortunately,   
the liquid did nothing to ease the lump in her throat. She just   
wasn't sharing Michiru's enthusiasm.  
A short time later she found herself driving back toward   
Tokyo proper. She could hear Hotaru in the back, laughing happily   
as the wind played in her short black hair. Once back at the apartment,   
it didn't take long for them to load the last few boxes into the car.   
Setsuna kept a close watch on their small charge as Hotaru amused   
herself by racing through the empty apartment. After a last minute   
search of the bathroom Michiru finally came out cradling something   
in her palm.  
"Lucky we came back; I found one of my pearl earrings on   
the floor in front of the bathtub." She stopped and scanned the   
floor of the living room. "Well, I guess that's everything."  
Setsuna nodded. "Come on, Hotaru-chan."  
The little girl stopped in her tracks and raced to her   
mothers. "Can we get some ice cream?"   
"We'll have to ask Haruka-papa," Michiru told her. The   
young artist turned to see Haruka still standing in the same spot.  
"Haruka, it's time to go." The blonde nodded and started   
to follow them out.  
"You go on to the car and take Hotaru," Michiru said quietly   
to Setsuna. "We'll be there in a moment. We just want to take one   
last look around."  
Setsuna nodded in quiet understanding  
Haruka stared into the depths of the darkened apartment   
that had once served as her bachelor pad and then much later a love   
nest. All she had to do now was turn in the key to the landlord and   
apartment 1127 would once again be vacant. Her hand rested on the   
doorknob, but she still didn't move. She couldn't.  
A breeze as soft as a sigh alerted her to her partner's   
presence behind her. Michiru's hand slid over Haruka's where it   
rested on the door.   
"They're waiting for us," Michiru said softly.  
"Hai," Haruka acknowledged with a resigned sigh.   
Michiru leaned against the doorframe. She struggled with   
what she knew she needed to say. "Haruka, you don't have to come   
if you don't want to."  
The blonde stood staring quietly through the window and   
outside at the clearing sky. It was several tense moments before   
she answered.  
"Come on, Michiru, let's go home."  
The smile that broke over the aqua haired woman's features   
lit up Haruka's heart. This was the right decision. It was not   
really an end; it was just the beginning.  
Finis  
  
  
This was written for Hamena. I am publishing it here   
because I just had a terrible scare O_o An entire folder of my work  
including current fanfiction projects VANISHED!!! If it happens again   
at least I will know where I can grab another copy. Sorry to everyone   
waiting on F-1. I was going to add two more chapters but I think that   
chapter Five will be the end and my editor is working on it...¬.¬  
or so she says ^_~  
Dedications: To Kate: my editor who is indespensible. Her attention to   
detail is incredible ^o^ Thank you soo much!   
To T: A great source of support ^^ and encouragement  
To my imotos Selina and Suiren: I love you two! *HUGS*  
To Wendy: I'm glad you're home *HUGS*:D  
To Anne: At least we aren't the worst bowlers in the league ^_~ 


End file.
